The City of New Delhi has just contracted Veolia Water to build and operate the new Nilothi Wastewater Treatment Plant serving the city’s western sector. Construction will begin in the next few weeks on this plant designed to be fully energy self-sufficient . The Indian public authority in charge of water and wastewater services in the capital New Delhi has signed a contract with Veolia Water to design, build and operate an innovative wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 91 million liters/day. This 13-year contract covers an initial two-year construction phase followed by an 11-year operation and maintenance phase. The contract is worth cumulative total revenue of 40 million euros. The plant will boost the capital’s wastewater treatment capacity at a time when the development of the city, which already shows the country’s highest population growth rate (26.4% increase from 2001 to 2011), is accelerating. The wastewater treatment used by Veolia Water will ensure the recovery of energy from the biogas produced by the sludge treatment process (digestion stage). This innovation will reduce the Nilothi wastewater service’s environmental footprint and also cut its energy bill.The treatment sludge will be recovered in the form of highly standardized compost for use by the region’s farmers. The treated wastewater will be discharged into the Yamuna River without any impact on the natural environment.  

AREVA Solar, an AREVA subsidiary, has been awarded a contract by Reliance Power Limited to build a 250 megawatt (MW) concentrated solar power (CSP) installation in India, which will become the largest in all of Asia. Under the contract, AREVA will build two 125 MW CSP plants using its Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) technology and will provide construction management services for the project. The first phase of the project is under construction, with a target commercial operation date of May 2013. The solar power plants will be located in Rajasthan. AREVA Solar  is a subsidiary of the AREVA Group and specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of steam generating solar systems for its global power generation and industrial customers. Reliance Power is India’s leading private sector power generation company. The company has the largest portfolio of power projects in the private sector based on coal, gas, hydro and renewable energy, with an operating portfolio of 1200 MW.

Alstom Bharat Forge Power Ltd. (ABFPL), the joint venture company between Alstom, a global leader in power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and Bharat Forge, the flagship company of the Kalyani Group , won a contract of  1570 crore rupees (€250 million approx) for supplying two units of 660 MW supercritical coal turbine islands to NTPC Limited in Solapur, Maharashtra. Alstom’s share of the contract will be approximately €125 million. As per the tender conditions, ABFPL is also expected to get awarded an additional order for three units of 660 MW for the Nabinagar site from Nabinagar Power Generating Co. Pvt Ltd (NPGCPL), a JV between NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB). NTPC or National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd is the single largest thermal power producer in India. ABFPL is currently constructing a manufacturing facility at Mundra, Gujarat which should start operations by 2013. The plant will manufacture supercritical power plant equipment and have an annual production capacity of 5000 MW, This will be one of the largest integrated facilities for turbines, generators and auxiliaries manufacturing in India.

PSA Peugeot Citroen said on Tuesday it may build cars in India with General Motors , its new global alliance partner, effectively scrapping a planned 650 million euro ($850 million) investment in its own factory. The companies will explore ways to use GM plants to support Peugeot’s long-heralded return to the Indian market, said Gregoire Olivier, head of Asian operations for the Paris-based automaker. The U.S. car maker has an Indian joint venture with China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp and sells models including the Chevrolet Spark, Beat, Sail and seven-seater Enjoy. GM has Indian plants near the western city of Mumbai and Halol, in Gujarat. Peugeot exited India in 1997 after the failure of an earlier joint venture, Premier Automobile Ltd., and had been seeking to re-enter the fast-growing market for at least two years before announcing the plant investment in Gujarat state last September.’ Amid mounting European losses, Peugeot flagged unspecified "timetable adjustments" to the project in January, two months after breaking ground at the factory site. GM and Peugeot announced their broad-based alliance in vehicle development and production on Feb. 29, along with a 1 billion euro Peugeot share issue that saw Detroit-based GM acquire a 7 percent stake in Europe’s second-biggest automaker.’

At the heart of a market set to account for 30 to 40% of new vehicles by 2025, and 20% from as early as 2020, pure electric cars (battery-run) and hybrid rechargeable cars, with extendable battery life or fuel-cell battery, are receiving strong input from industrial players and government authorities in France, keen to address environmental concerns, boost the sector’s competitiveness and secure its energy independence.   A charter signed with the French Ministry for Industry in September 2011 lists the ten commitments which industry professionals must make when offering low-carbon vehicles and related products and services to consumers, featuring high performance benefits, quality, ease of use and safety. Highway companies, parking operators, traders and dealers have also signed up to the effort. 1-       France’s fleet of electric passenger and lightweight utility vehicles is the largest in Europe (15,000 units) and the third-largest in the world, after the United States and Japan[1]. PSA launched the Peugeot 3008 hybrid in 2011, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid diesel car. In spring 2012 , the Citroen DS5, operating on the same technology, is arriving on the market, along with the top-range Peugeot 508 RXH. In 2012, Toyota will produce a hybrid version of the Yaris III, in Valenciennes (Nord-Pas de Calais region). For city use, Venturi (Eclectic), Goupil G3, Lumeneo (Smera and Neoma), MEGA, Micro Vett (Fiat), Tracetel (Whoop), and Courb (C Zen) are developing engine-powered tricycles and quadricycles, while Gepebus (PVI), Tecnobus, Irisbus and Gruau are bringing out buses, and Renault-Trucks a line of trucks. Batteries are produced in France by SAFT (Lithium-Ion) and Batscap-Bolloré (Lithium Metal Polymer). Renault will start producing electric engines in Cléon (Haute-Normandie region) in 2013, and batteries (after Nissan NEC paves the way) in Flins (Paris region) in 2014. Pivotal to BMW’s partnership with PSA is a hybrid components plant in Mulhouse for 2014 (Alsace region). Parts manufacturers such as Valeo are involved in the electrification of the powertrain, power electronics and vehicle weight reduction. 2- A government-backed environment . The French government’s Automobile Bonus, in place since 2008, has channeled a total of €2.3 billion into the market, fostering the acquisition of 3.9 million new low-pollution vehicles. The 2012 scale maintains ambitious support through incentives ranging from €2,000 to €5,000 per low-carbon vehicle. An incentive scheme from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME also exists for quadricycles and certain heavy-duty vehicles. Significant funding (€100 million) has been allocated to emission reduction and low-carbon vehicles, within four innovation clusters dedicated to automobiles and transport solutions (Mov’eo, Id4Car, Vehicles for the Future and Lyon Urban Truck and Bus). More general support for R&D is also available through France’s Research Tax Credit and the innovation agency OSEO. Initiated in 2009, France’s Plan for the Development of Rechargeable Electric and Hybrid vehicles illustrates the commitment of the French government to promote low-carbon vehicles. The Multi-Year Land Transport Program (“Predit N°4”, backed with €400 million of funding) allocates an average 50% of its funding to electric and hybrid vehicles. Two technological platforms are running today: Steeve Grenoble & Amiens (energy storage, piloted by the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission CEA and the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks INERIS) and Movéo’DEGE Saclay (piloted by the French Institute of Petroleum IFP). French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME’s first two research demonstration funds on “low greenhouse gas road vehicles” have been approved (€108 million). They also support experimental efforts such as Kléber (rechargeable hybrid vehicle in Strasbourg), SAVE (Seine Aval VE), CROME (CROss-border Mobility for Evs) with Germany, VERT (in Réunion). BMW meanwhile experimented with a French fleet of Mini E cars up to the end June 2011, and will launch an operational fleet with ActiveEs in 2012. In order to guarantee fully-safe electric vehicle deployment, in particular in underground parking lots, tests have been carried out on electric vehicle battery safety, in conjunction with government authorities. The Recharge Infrastructures Working Group for electric vehicles (GT IRVE), placed under the supervision of the Ministry for Industry, is responsible for consultation and coordination with sector professionals (Schneider Electric, Legrand, Parkéon, DBT, Saintronic, Sagem.com, EDF Sodretel, Hager, etc.) on all national government issues: provisions introduced under the Grenelle II Act (municipality consortia, building permits, office or apartment block parking lots), Green Paper recommendations on recharge infrastructures accessible to the public, a common definition of the “safe electric vehicle”, standardization, support (French Government Investment Bank CDC or the French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME) for experiments and recharge infrastructure deployment (eco-cities and pilot metropolitan areas having signed a charter in 2010). The French government’s “National Investment Program” has helped boost support for electrochemical storage, through the “low-carbon energies” segment of its activities. The “Vehicle of the Future" segment meanwhile focused on advanced electric powertrain and hybrid techniques as well as recharge stations, while also opening up a unit dedicated to funding recharge infrastructures on public highways . Already-published multilateral investment agreements (AMIs) have been granted a budget of over €500 million. Furthermore, the French government has announced an accreditation program and €54 million in funding for the VEDECOM Institute for Excellence in Low-Carbon Energies, specifically in the field of land transport and eco-mobility, which will set up a venue in Satory (Paris region) where transport players can work together to deploy new systems and new vehicles. Lastly, the Orders Consortium steered by La Poste and coordinated by state procurement body UGAP announced in October 2011 the outcome of a call for tenders on the acquisition of 2,000 vehicles for four years. The UGAP has also signed partnerships with various representatives of the local authorities and plans to launch a new call for tenders in 2012. David Appia, Chairman and CEO of the Invest in France Agency (IFA) stated, “France offers a world-class platform for foreign industrial players who wish to develop low-carbon vehicles, taking advantage of an environment highly conducive to innovation and boasting top-tier training for engineers. France’s innovation clusters and government incentives dedicated to the automotive sector enhance France’s investment attractiveness in these technologies building the future”. The Invest in France Agency (IFA) is the national agency responsible for promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It also coordinates initiatives to promote France’s economic attractiveness. The IFA network operates worldwide. In France, the IFA works in partnership with regional development agencies to offer international investors outstanding business opportunities and customized services. For further information, please visit www.investinfrance.org ;  

H.E. Mr. François Richier, Ambassador of France in India visited the French Pavilion on Plastindia Trade Show – Hall 11 this morning (Friday, Feb 3rd 2012). At his arrival, he was guided by representatives of Messe Düsseldorf both from India and German offices. This has given him the occasion of meeting the eleven French companies, leaders in their sectors, understanding their technologies and innovations and discussing their current or prospective business in India. Organised by Ubifrance, the French Pavilion is the perfect platform for building strong partnerships between France and India, bringing together professionals and specialists from the plastics industry . Exhibiting their latest innovations in the fields of extrusion, marking tools, profiles, instrumentation and other machines and equipment, the French companies were delighted to receive their ambassador and expose their strategy in India.  

  PLASTIPOLIS, a leading plastics innovation cluster from France participates at the Plastindia 2012 trade show being held from 1 st to 6 th February 2012 in New Delhi. Plastipolis brings together around 300 members including leading companies, R&D centres, training centres and institutional investors, working collaboratively, to address specific issues in any part of the plastics industry value chain. The main aim is to facilitate availability of resources to small and medium-sized businesses and promotion of French expertise in the field of plastics engineering on an international level. Plastipolis has set-up different lines of R&D to show strong potential in implementing new ideas and concepts to improve performance in different industry segments. Besides materials, composites, machines and processes, the research work also includes micro-plastics engineering projects for developing products with specialized functions that can be used in various applications like electronics and communications. Eco-plastics engineering is another field of research, integrating a comprehensive developmental approach, to manage design, manufacture and use of these products. The cluster carries out 80 different R&D projects, for a total amount of 180 million Euros. Plastipolis is also involved in 15 other projects with European counterparts. Plastipolis strives to make its mark in the global plastics industry. The cluster encourages innovation and is developing new R&D projects keeping in mind the market needs and the companies’ requirements. Latest management processes and communication channels are being adopted to ensure proper management of cluster activities. New training procedures and advanced operations have been implemented to create innovative products and services delivery. Plastipolis aims to create a strategic approach to R&D and facilitate French plastics engineering firms, working collaboratively, to develop high calibre workforce and infrastructure to deliver good quality and innovative products to accelerate international cooperation. Do not miss the opportunity to meet Plastipolis on the French pavilion, Hall 11 stand B33! For any further information: PLASTIPOLIS Ms Caroline PIN Tel: +33 (0)4 74 12 19 23 Email: caroline.pin@plastipolis.fr Website: www.plastipolis.fr